HarvestPlus c/o IFPRI 2033 K Street, NW • Washington, DC 20006-1002 USA Tel: 202-862-5600 • Fax: 202-467-4439 HarvestPlus@cgiar.org • www.HarvestPlus.org

Breeding biofortified crops

to alleviate micronutrient

malnutrition

Parminder Virk

c/o CIAT, Colombia

Hidden hunger is caused by a lack of vital

minerals and vitamins in the diet.

HarvestPlus focuses on three critical

micronutrients recognized by the World

Health Organization as most lacking in the

diets of the poor (Vitamin A, Zinc & Iron).

2 billion people in the developing world

are iron deficient

Women and children are the

primary victims

Micronutrient Deficiency

Wolfgang H PFEIFFER

Hidden Hunger

2 billion+ affected Photo: C. Hotz

- an interdisciplinary, global

alliance of more than 200 scientific and

implementation partners in over 40 countries

that seeks to reduce hidden hunger and

provide micronutrients directly through …

high-yielding, high-profit varieties of key

staple foods that they eat HarvestPlus is a joint venture between two CGIAR Centers, the International

Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) based in Cali, Colombia and the International

Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in Washington, D.C.

Hidden Hunger addressed by

Biofortification: breeding food crops that are

more nutritious

Food-Based Strategies Can Reduce Hidden Hunger

Breeding Biofortified Crops

- Conventional Breeding

- Utilizing Genomic Tools

Molecular Marker Development & Application

LCYE lycopene

δ-carotene

α-carotene

LCYB

HYDb

zeinoxanthin

lutein

HYDE

ABA

HYDb1

LCYB

β-cryptoxanthin

γ-carotene

β-carotene

LCYB

zeaxanthin

HYDb3

GGPP PSY

PDS

Z-ISO

ZDS/CRISTO

Lycopene Epsilon Cyclase LCYE

affects ratio of carotenoids

β-hydroxylase HYDB1 large effect on

β-carotene levels & β-carotene / total

carotenoids ratio

HYDB3 3rd gene

Non destructive - Leaf or Seed DNA

Harjes et al., Science 2008

Yan et al., Nature Genetics 2010

QTL mapping, GWAS, Genomic Selection -CIMMYT

ICP-MS

Identify differentially expressed genes

Correlate differential gene expression with Zn to identify

candidate genes

XRF & ICP-MS PRAY panels

Identify candidate regions and SNPs via GWAS

Search transcriptomic data for GWAS candidates

Transcriptomics GWAS

Identify markers in candidate genes (e.g. SNPs, SSRs)

Develop assay for high through-put screening with

marker set

Validate markers in a suitable population

Flinders University & IRRI

RICE

>130 varieties released in 25 countries In-testing in 55 countries

Cassava ProVitamin A Nigeria DR Congo

Beans Iron (Zinc) Rwanda DR Congo

Maize ProVitamin A

Nigeria Zambia

Crops Released: Africa

Crops are high-yielding and with other traits farmers want

OSP ProVitamin A

Uganda

2007 2011 2012 2012

Pearl Millet Iron (Zinc) India

Rice Zinc Bangladesh India

Wheat Zinc India (TLS)

Pakistan(2015)

2012 2013 2013

Crops Released: Asia

Crops are high-yielding and with other traits farmers want

Biofortification is an evidence-

based intervention linking

agriculture and nutrition

Photo: EMBRAPA

Photo: CIAT Photo: EMBRAPA

What is the evidence that Biofortification

actually works?

Iron-rich Pearl Millet Reverses Iron

Deficiency in Children

What is the evidence that Biofortification

actually works?

‘Orange’ vitamin A maize increases vitamin

A storage in children’s bodies

Biofortified orange maize is as efficacious

as a vitamin A supplement in Zambian

children even in the presence of high liver

reserves of vitamin A: a community-based,

randomized placebo-controlled trial First published October 8, 2014, doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.087379

What is the evidence that Biofortification

actually works?

NGOs

• HarvestPlus works closely with NGOs ( national, regional and international) for delivery activities in Asia and Africa where the markets are not mature for;

– Seed production

– Seed distribution

– Promotions of biofortified crops in the communities

– Capacity buildings e.g. Training programs

Crop Development , Testing & Commercialization Partnership

Public Sector:

DWR – (ICAR) IARI - Delhi PAU - Ludhiana BHU - Varanasi

CIMMYT

Private Sector:

Ankur Seeds, Ajeet Seeds, Astha Beej Ltd, Bayer Crop Science, DCM Shriram Ltd., Krishidhan, Mahyco, Nirmal Seeds, Nuziveedu Seeds, Pantnagar Tarai Agri Seeds, Rasi Seeds, Shakati Vardhak, Sri Sai Seeds, Shriyanshi Seeds

Food processing Engagement

HPlus in beginning to initiate partnership with food companies for value added products

In India – Test marketing zinc wheat flour in collaboration with millers ; Orange maize cereal (Kellogg's)

In Zambia – Vita-A maize flour through retailers and flour mill association ( in partnerships with government)

In LACs Baby food (Nestle)

Marketing – Consumer Goods

Create demand in particular for main channel

processed products such as flour in generating

pull in market development

400,000 250,000

60,000

20,000195,000

600,000

360,000

175,000

75,000

85,00055,000

85,000

520,000

300,000

11,000

Iron Bean Rwanda Iron Bean DRC Iron Bean Uganda

Iron Bean Zimbabwe Iron Pearl Millet India Vita-A Cassava Nigeria

Vita-A Cassava DRC Vita-A Maize Zambia Vita-A Maize Nigeria

Vita-A Maize Zimbabwe Vita-A Maize DRC Vita-A OSP Uganda

Zinc Rice Bangladesh Zinc Wheat India Zinc Wheat Pakistan

Cumulative Reach: 4 million Farming Households

= access to Biofortified Food for 20 million

World Food Prize for Combating Malnutrition

- Biofortification recognized as a Global Intervention

United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Austrian Ministry of Finance

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

European Commission

The International Fertilizer Group

International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)

Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DANIDA)

Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)

Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

United States Department of Agriculture

The World Bank

World Food Programme

Donors